‘Fire Country’: Jordan Calloway Reveals Why He’s ‘Grateful’ for Battalion Chief Twist

[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Fire Country Season 4 Episode 4 “Like a Wounded Wildebeest.”]

Station 42 has a new battalion chief — but it’s not Jake (Jordan Calloway), as he thought it would be after a conversation with Richards (Shawn Hatosy) on Fire Country.

Instead, it’s Manny (Kevin Alejandro) that Richards leaves in charge after witnessing him on a call involving a man stuck in the corn in a silo, which Calloway, who directed the episode, says was “all about the theme that I was going for for this episode, which is pressure.” Manny’s also the one who confronts Bode (Max Thieriot) about the pills he has. By the end of the episode, Bode has flushed the pills, and he and Jake do seem to be on better terms. In fact, Jake and Eve (Jules Latimer) then clue Bode in on the note she found in his father Vince’s guitar case by an “R” threatening to blow up his life by reaching out to Sharon (Diane Farr) about something. Plus, Bode and Audrey (Leven Rambin) break up, and she’s transferring to another station.

Below, Jordan Calloway unpacks the episode and directing it and discusses that disappointing news for Jake, the note for Vince, and more.

What did you enjoy most about getting to direct this specific episode?

Jordan Calloway: Well, first of all, Joe [Hortua] did a fantastic job. He’s telling a story about pressure, the weight of responsibility. He’s talking about guilt for someone that feels like they didn’t do enough for their crewmates, which was Eve. You’re talking about heartbreak, where Jake doesn’t end up getting to be battalion chief. We’re talking about the weight of things that you carry and hold onto, which is what Bode was dealing with and having to let go. And then also just letting go for the safety of your own self with what Audrey was going through. And it’s just so much, so many different colors, so many different stories to be able to tell in this.

Eike Schroter/CBS

And one of the things that you’re dealing with with the pills as well as just pressure, which was a great motif for what Bode is dealing with, with this massive Goliath of a corn mill, and he has to be in there and the pressure of it that we’re seeing with the patient that needs to be saved out of that and all of this pressure, all of these things just compressing on him, it’s the weight of the world. So I was really excited about with what Joe was able to put in there with a lot of the visuals and the stories to be able to pull out different motifs, different things to help continue the story. And it was a lot. It was a lot to be able to unpack. So it made it very easy. I would say it made it very easy because it was just a robust meal to just be plated and served.

That was easy, but it was not easy for Jake in this episode.

[Laughs]

Poor guy, he thought he was the next battalion chief after that conversation he had with Richards at the end of Episode 3 but no, it’s Manny. How is Jake doing with that going forward? Because on the one hand it’s still someone in the family, but it’s not him.

Right. Yeah, it’s funny as I was so grateful to be able to actually direct this episode as well because for my character who I have huge allegiance to, I was able to be able to capture the first scene where he gets that news. It feels like a betrayal, but then on the other end of it, there’s a redeeming quality when he’s talking with Eve and he realizes, I did miss the mark because Bode isn’t the problem and I wasn’t there stepping up for him. So he learns this lesson at a huge cost, at a huge, massive cost, something that he desired and wanted, but he learns this lesson. And I think what I’m grateful for from Joe for putting that in there is that it redeems him at the same time. And this lesson, it only is meant to propel him forward to bigger and better things.

But it does feel like Manny has really stepped up and is what 42 needs now. And it’s also what Jake needs because I like that when he tells him, he says that 42 does not run well without Jake Crawford, which is 100% true. Did that also help?

Oh, that was great. It was great. In a moment where there’s betrayal and understandably so for Jake, yet you also see the quality of Manny as battalion chief. He speaks to one’s feelings, he speaks to their pain, he understands because he’s endured so much as well. If you go back seasons before, he’s not had a beautiful road, but yet he’s learned from that and he imparts his wisdom on others. He’s not perfect, but at the same time, he’s a father figure that is needed. He’s a huge example that others can lean on as well. And he doesn’t take this, he doesn’t go in there pompous or anything. He leaves himself open to correction. He leaves himself open to saying, “Hey, I need you because this whole world, it’s new to me. The highest I’ve been is a captain, but this place doesn’t run without you.” So I thought it was very empowering and exhorting on Manny’s behalf to give Jake that as well.

That’s something that Jake needs because something I’ve liked is that the show is also pointing out that Jake is grieving, too. Jake also lost Vince. We’ve seen what Vince meant to him. How much are we going to see that continuing going forward, especially now that Jake and Bode are kind of getting on the same page again? Are they able to grieve together now?

Right, and that’s a great question because one of the things that I was really happy with the beginning of the season is that you have this rift between Bode and Jake because there’s guilt on Jake’s path because he was icy and he feels like it falls on him, part of, and for Bode and for Jake to be able to come back together and for them to be able to reconcile, it’s only going to be the best thing for 42. And it’s one of those things where when moving forward, without giving too much away, it’s only going to bring the family closer together, and it’s a rebuilding process at the same time. And that stuff always takes time. You can’t rush that. But now they have a new buffer, a new figure in their life who they both have admiration for who they both have extreme respect, but now also holds that title as well. And just like Vince would put us in check, he will put us in check as well. And it won’t feel as if it’s, “OK, I have to take orders from the guy that’s responsible for my dad’s death.” “OK. I don’t have to hear the complaints of the guy who went into the fire when he should have stayed, and I blame him for the death of my figurative father.”

Eike Schroter/CBS

I have to say what I really liked was that last scene with Jake, Bode, and Eve because that trio is so good together. But here’s the thing: Should they have told Bode about this note at this point? We see what he’s going through.

I do. The reason why is because in this episode they were all dealing with different pressures. You see Eve, she steps up and she’s like, no, I’m going to get Three Rock back because I’m seeing what has happened and this can’t slide. You see Jake, where he’s humbled because he sees why he didn’t get battalion chief because of the fact that he worried about the rules instead of worrying about the crew, which is still something that he does care about, his crew, but you have to also be the one that leaves the 99 to go save that one, and that’s what Manny showed. And then you also see with Bode how he was holding on the pressures of holding the pills and then finally got to the point where he could let that go. I related so much with Bode just in having to let things go from your past, but make sure it’s not too late to lose that best thing that was in your life.

So these three lessons that these kids have learned, now they’re stepping up into the fact of we’re going to do this next thing the right way. We’re not going to try and fight our battles on our own. We’re going to unite and whatever this may be, we have each other because that’s the one thing they all went into these different fights with not doing, having each other, counting on each other. And a lot of that came from the grief of Vince’s passing.

So their theory is that the R could be Renee, and it’s understandable, they do have a history, but it has not been said definitively that that is from Renee. What can you say about how right or wrong they might be? How much is that still a mystery, exactly who wrote that note?

This is what I’ll say. Stay tuned. [Laughs]

Right now, Jake wants to protect Sharon by keeping this note from her, which is understandable. She’s family. I can understand that with what she’s going through. But is that hard for part of him to not be talking to her because he just lost his father figure, now here’s a mother figure and he’s keeping something from her.

I think one of the things with that is his desire is that the three of them will all get together and maybe they can go and tell Sharon about what’s going on. And I think that’s what his inclination is, like, “Hey, before we present this to your mom, let’s all get on the same boat unless anybody knows what might be the case.” But Eve, she’s been peeping games, so she’s like, hold up. No, I don’t like that broad over there. She a little bit too cozy and everything. I’m not sure if I’m rocking with her. Bode, he’s a hothead. So it has to be Jake. And you know what? Eve is also a hothead, too. But it has to be Jake because Jake is the one that’s like, “Alright guys, look, let’s calm down, please,  Bode, relax, Eve, relax.” He’s trying to keep the pressure, the bubbling of the pot — he’s trying to keep it down.

It seems like things are finally working out for Jake when it comes to his love life with Violet (Nesta Cooper).

Thank God, right?

He hasn’t had the best of luck with love. We’ve seen that. Does he feel like that’s changing? Is that the sense he has right now in this relationship?

I think he’s very happy. I think it took him a while to feel safe and feel like, oh my gosh, this great thing, it’s not going to fall apart. It’s not going to go away. Because he has had a tremendous history with just loss. And so I think that’s something that is great for my character, Jake, I think that’s great because he has a sense of constant — it’s consistency. That’s what I’m looking for. He has consistency with Violet.

So what’s next there? Because I feel like things are going well. That’s when drama happens.

[Laughs] Well, you know what? For him, I think he’s good right now with just a good, healthy relationship. I think he’s happy with that because when Cara passed, he was about to propose. So I mean, I don’t know if he’s ready to propose because he might still think the Grim Reaper is going to follow any ring he buys. You know what I mean?

Can you say if this is the last that we see of Richards and Audrey?

I hope not. I hope not. They were absolutely amazing. I mean, they were fantastic. I loved them. I love this scene between Max and Leven. I was just so happy with that, with what they brought. And I mean, come on, Shawn Hatosy, he’s freaking Shawn Hatosy. I mean, the guy is high caliber.

But for now this kind of seems like their farewells?

I don’t know. I don’t know, but I hope they’re coming back.

Can you talk about directing the silo scene?

It was great. I have to shout out Anand [Ray], who is our set designer, and I mean his team, they built that set within a week and a half. And we had two pieces. One was the massive silo, and then we had another set piece, which was just the top of the silo where we filmed a lot of this stuff of them on top before entering. On the inside of the silo, that was the full version of it, we had, I would say we probably had about a three to four feet maybe of corn that they brought in. And then there was sort of like a trap door in the middle of it where our actor was, and he was a trooper as well. I had worked with him before and he was just great.

And so we were able to have one piece that popped out where we were able to get our cameras in. We had the top where we had a descending rig with the camera where we were able to travel down and get the interior of the silo. But I mean, it was a lot of fun, a lot of dust. So, I am hugely grateful to Max, Leven, and everyone involved in that. But they crushed it. They absolutely crushed it. And in something that was so small and tight, it gave me the ability to create the vastness of it as well as the depth and really allow the audience to feel as if they were as constrained as our characters were in this tight place, which is all about the theme that I was going for for this episode, which is pressure.

What’s coming up with Jake going forward? Is there less pressure on him that he knows that battalion chief isn’t in his future right now?

We live in Edgewater. If there ain’t pressure there, we ain’t doing something right. There’s always pressure at Edgewater, whether you are the battalion or your captain, hell, you might just work at the town swimming pool. There’s always going to be some type of pressure.

I know the fall finale is going to be coming up soon. And of course, Fire Country always has a cliffhanger. What can you tease about this one?

Somebody that we have been waiting for since Season 1 may make an appearance.

Fire Country, Fridays, 9/8c, CBS